Rabbit Trails????

[BeccaBellePA]

So, we were having a discussion at work yesterday and I mentioned going off on a "rabbit trail" and no one else in the office had ever heard that phrase. So I'm starting to wonder if it's something my family made up??? I even searched online idioms and no website recognizes it as a legit phrase.

Do you guys use it at all? Or have you at least heard of it??? Am I going crazy????

 

[GoldieSaysMeep]

I honestly thought this was going to be a post about larger hamster homes. Like rabbit sized ones. Habitrail should probably market this idea.

Then I thought you were looking for somewhere to hike and see bunnies.


So what does it mean?

 

[olena]

The closest thing I've ever heard was the 'rabbit hole' concept, where things disappear.

When I first saw the title, all I could think of was "Wabbit twacks!"

 

[Meriweather]

Never heard of it

 

[Tinijocaro]

Never heard of it-does it mean going off on a tangent?

 

[SAHDad]

I've heard of it. Rabit trail means a wandering, confusing thought/argument/whatever, that never seems to have a definitive end.

Rabbits, when they wander around, backtrack, stop, cross over their previous tracks, etc - all of which makes following one difficult, to say the least.

 

[Inigo]

I think you're crazy. But that OK, I like crazy.

I've never heard of the expression, but we have a lot of expressions in our family that mean absolutely nothing to most people.

For example, to change the topic, we say, "Speaking of Christmas..." One summer, back in the 70's, my friend was watching Hawaii 5-0 with her dad, mom, and sisters, when her dad came out with that phrase. Since the episode wasn't about Chrismas, and no one was talking about Christmas, it stuck, and now my family uses it too.

We also use, "You're a mean drunk Superman" a lot. I'm sure you've heard the joke about the two guys drinking in a bar on the top of a skyscraper. One guy bets the other that the wind currents are so strong up there that a person could jump out the window, and the currents would bring him back to the window. The second guy takes the bet, so the first guy jumps out the window, and a few seconds later pops back in. The second guy says, I have to try that, and jumps out. Of course the second guy lands on the pavement. The bartender looks at the first guy and says, "You're a mean drunk, SUperman."

 

[DVCLiz]

I've heard of it. Rabit trail means a wandering, confusing thought/argument/whatever, that never seems to have a definitive end.

Rabbits, when they wander around, backtrack, stop, cross over their previous tracks, etc - all of which makes following one difficult, to say the least.

I've heard and used it in this sense as it relates to using the internet - one site leads you to another, then another, then you wander back to where you started, then to somewhere else...

 

[HunnyPots]

I've heard and used that expression all my life so no, your family did not make it up! You may or may not be crazy though, who am I to say?

 

[brasswillow]

My group of friends often uses this term to describe ourselves. We easily go off on rabbit trails and end up very far from where we started in conversation.

 

[marthachick]

Rabbit trails and spaghetti stories. Yep, I've heard of this.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Nope, ever heard of it.

We do, however, have hysterical vehicles in my family.

 

[Inigo]

Nope, ever heard of it.

We do, however, have hysterical vehicles in my family.

So, want to share the story on how the vehicles become hysterical?

 

[BeccaBellePA]

I've heard of it. Rabit trail means a wandering, confusing thought/argument/whatever, that never seems to have a definitive end.

Rabbits, when they wander around, backtrack, stop, cross over their previous tracks, etc - all of which makes following one difficult, to say the least.

Exactly!! This is what we mean, too. Start saying something then wander completely off topic!! I do like the "spaghetti stories" though, too, marthachick. Is that the same thing? Or is it something different??

 

[luvmyfam444]

We say chasing rabbits all the time. Since I manage to chase them quite a bit - LOL

 

[Handbag Lady]

So, want to share the story on how the vehicles become hysterical?

My mother is famous for loving all antiques, every shiny thing that goes by when we travel, and she says words that she thinks she knows, but she doesn't. We love her anway.

We were on a family car vacation (out-of-state for us) in the 1970's and we stopped for burgers. Next to the hamburger place, there was an old Ford with the state license plates that indicate it was special.

My mom gets ALL excited, turns to my father and says,"Michael, Michael, look, it is a hysterical vehicle!"

I believe I was seven and my sister was nine. We peed ourselves with laughter and the rest of the trip, ANY car we saw got pointed at and was called a hysterical vehicle.

My sister and I are now 40 and 42. Two weekends ago we were at my dad's house and an antique vehicle drove by...we were christened "incorrigible."

 

[luvmyfam444]

never heard of spaghetti stories - wanna share about those?


FWIW - I found this about the term chasing rabbits...
http://nesara.org/articles/rabbits.htm

 

[JR6ooo4]

Well I have always called them bunny trails. But I was referring to the actual trails they make/use in the forests.

Mikeeee

 

[marthachick]

never heard of spaghetti stories - wanna share about those?

I do like the "spaghetti stories" though, too, marthachick. Is that the same thing? Or is it something different??

Yep, same thing. Interwoven and seems like there is no beginning and (usually) no end.